The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling the power supply of an electric motor, in particular the electric motor of a vehicle that can be electrically driven.
In order to reduce automobile emissions, increased emphasis is currently being placed on developing drive concepts for electrically driven vehicles such as pure electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). Operating electric vehicles using motors and generators requires having an electrical energy store in the vehicle.
Particularly when supplying power to electric vehicles, the energy store is frequently discharged and then recharged. Repeatedly discharging and charging the energy store stresses it, causing it to undergo an aging process after a certain period of time, which diminishes its performance and capacity over time. The end of the service life may therefore be marked by a significant reduction in performance and capacity, creating the necessity of a costly replacement of the energy store.
A method is therefore known from EP 0 913 288 B1 for maintaining the charge capacity of traction battery modules of a hybrid electric vehicle. In this method, while the vehicle is idle or the ignition is switched off, the energy store is maintained by fully charging only a single module and then partially discharging it.